Ideas for indoor play and physical activities recommended for 1-year-olds

Sticker pasting play

[Montessori Early Learning] A Preschool Teacher Explains How to Do Sticker Activities

Let’s get those little fingers moving! Here’s a fun sticker activity.

Prepare large round stickers, paper, and a pen.

Draw circles on the paper the same size as the stickers, then add illustrations to make them look like candies, tires, and more.

Have the child place the stickers inside the circles! You can also draw things like umbrellas or T-shirts and let them decorate them with sticker patterns—that’s fun too! It’s a good idea to have stickers in several colors so children can choose their favorites and stay engaged.

Adjust the sticker size to match your child’s stage of development.

Playing with the sheets

[Umi & Daichi] Sheet Play: Come, Big Wind! Scenes from May and August #1-year-olds #0-year-olds #sheetplay #HatsukaichiKujiraNursery #indoorplay

Let me introduce a sheet game you can play right away with no preparation—just a sheet! All you need to do is have two teachers hold the ends of the sheet and move it up and down.

It’s easy to set up and can entertain several children at once! When you move the sheet up and down, the breeze wraps around the children.

You can also create variety—and even more excitement—by stopping the sheet’s movement for a moment, draping it over the children and then lifting it quickly, or adding other irregular motions.

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miyabi

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Macaroni Play

Expand their imagination! Here’s a sensory play idea with macaroni.

You’ll need a tray, cups, spoons, and colored macaroni.

The play is open-ended! How children choose to explore the macaroni spread out on the tray will vary: some will focus on sounds and textures, while others will enjoy pretend mealtime play.

Having several shapes and sizes of macaroni will broaden the play possibilities.

It can also be fun to change the tools you provide as they grow.

Give it a try!

Riding a Molcar

The guinea pig–shaped cars, Molcars, are a stop-motion animation made with needle-felted wool.

Some children might be big fans of Molcars.

Here, we put your child on a Molcar made of cardboard and pull it along to move.

A child who loves Molcars might be delighted to ride.

Partway through, set them down, then run to the finish line carrying them.

From that point on, instead of carrying, you could hold hands and run together or give them a piggyback.

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Hirakawa Masako (Bōkarisuto: Sakata Mizumako)

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Playing with plastic raffia (Suzuran tape)

Lily-of-the-valley tape play, Sansui Nursery School, Nishinomiya City, Hyogo Prefecture #art #play

Colorful and fun! Let us introduce a playful activity with Suzuran tape (raffia tape).

All you need is Suzuran tape in several colors.

Pull the tape to start the play! While enjoying the crinkly texture and rustling sound, it’s also fun to roll it up or spread it out.

If you stick one end of the tape to the wall, children can crawl under it like a tunnel.

Put it in a dish or cup, and it starts to look like juice or rice! Be careful: stepping on the tape can be slippery and cause falls, so supervise the children closely while they play.

Daikon Game

[Exercise & Gymnastics Kids Love] The “Daikon Game,” recommended from age 3 / Rule-based movement play and exercise-gymnastics educational video to improve motor skills together with Mom

Let me introduce the “Daikon Game,” a fun activity you can enjoy indoors while moving your body! Get everyone excited by having them pretend to be daikon radishes.

Lie down in a circle holding hands.

Stay in character as daikon and don’t let go of your friends’ hands so the ‘oni’ can’t pull you out.

The child who stays until the end wins! Rules vary by region, but if you link arms instead of holding hands, you can become even stronger daikon! It’s also fun to let the kids come up with ways to avoid being pulled out, so I highly recommend it.

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kepiko

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Secret Base Dome

Let’s secretly play in your very own room! Here are some ideas for a secret-base dome.

For children, a secret base is a special place that sparks their sense of adventure and imagination.

It’s an appealing space they can use freely—as their personal hideout or a place to invite trusted friends to play together.

This time, let’s make a secret-base dome using materials you already have at home.

You’ll need newspaper, plastic bags, and duct tape.

After making the walls and roof with the newspaper and plastic bags, blow air in through the entrance using a fan.

It will puff up softly and it’s really fun!